The Experiment HST 17
by Belladonna
Summary: Set mid-Season4-Spike is still at the Initiative and about to come face to face with a special experiment. Please read and review *unfinished*
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer_: This story is a work of fan-fiction. All used characters don't belong to me and I just borrowed them. The only profit I hope to achieve with this story is the pure pleasure of the reader.

_Author's notes: The story takes place around the middle of Season 4. This is one of my first tries of writing something with a real plot and also a tad bit longer than my other work. Please have patience with me concerning updating and all that for the story's in the process of being translated since my first language is not English and the same time rewritten at several places._

_Feedback and Distribution: Please let me know what you think, feedback is greatly appreciated and all can be sent to LadySet@gmx.net   If you would want it for your site, just ask._

_Summary: Spike has been captured by the Initiative and been some time at their loving care, still is (since it is around Season 4). He's about to get a really close look at some special project of theirs while being their guest._

_The Experiment – HST 17_

__

_by Belladonna_

_~Prologue~_

Science is something that can help us making our lives easier; easier for us to live and to enjoy living in general. Science has brought us many achievements of modern life today; small things that might seem so unimportant on the first glance but which without the science and all the research that are behind them might never have been achieved at all.

Yet still, as much as we consider this progress that we gain for ourselves with science a gift from God himself, as much are we taking it upon ourselves to playing God at times.

Just how often are we putting our conscience behind any reason, hiding it in the farthest corners of our minds and all that we consider righteous or wrong, so that they won't bother us in doing our work, or might even hold us back from doing it at all?

How easy is it for us then to exchange both sides, the one that restrains us from acting foolishly or that which leads us directly to that path of folly? This fine thin line between arrogance and vanity towards righteousness and inner peace of mind and soul does in fact blur at times.

With science our own chosen path through life can lead to a much easier way yet the same time we are just stepping over the stones upon it. And not often stumbling.

But the truth about the rightness of our doings does not lie within that but far deeper underneath, hidden beneath the dark cloaking veil of reality, righteousness and immorality.

And reality, the true reality is far from being revealed by this.


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer__ and all the other stuff: see Prologue_

_Feedback: still appreciated, so send 'em to LadySet@gmx.net or easier, review me here (makes me work on this one faster in translating *hint, hint*)_

_Summary: Initiative – Spike still being there and about to get face to face with one of their special projects._

_The Experiment – HST 17_

_~Chapter 1~_

It was dark when he awoke. The man slowly opened his eyes, warily and tried to hold his aching head in his hands to soothe the pain at least a bit when he'd had to realize that he could not move his arms at all. This fact, more than anything else shook his rather clouded head really fast clear of all the cobwebs and he rattled at his restraints that held his wrists bound tightly to the table. The man had also to make the bitter realization that he wasn't just restrained at the wrists of both his hands but also at his ankles which wore bindings like his hands did. Disappointed and defeated he let himself fall back towards the table and tried to find more clarity in his surroundings, shrouded in half-darkness. His eyes had adjusted pretty quickly to the dim light, like they always had done so that he was able to recognize that he must have been held in some kind of laboratory. He felt how until then repressed panic began to rise within him at that thought. 

The little light that changed the otherwise dark room into a dimly lit black did emanate from the many LED-displays that belonged to computer terminals inside the lab. Those terminals must have been along side the walls; at least that was it the man suspected since he only was able to see the many lights, blinking and the faint humming sound that probably also belonged to those computers. His mind still was a bit clouded and he wasn't able to form a much more sharper thought at the moment which must still be the after-effects of the sedative he was given. But why had he been sedated?

At the other end of the room, the only part of the laboratory that was illuminated at least a bit by a small lamp in the corner stood a man. He wore a white lab coat which identified him as either a scientist or a doctor. He currently stood with his back turned to the man on the table, facing the computers and taking notes on a clipboard in his hands. From time to time he checked some readouts and displays on the computer, changed the settings on the terminal next to him that, like the man on the table was now able to recognize was in fact standing at the farther wall opposite of him. The man on the table turned his face away from the corner and tried to look around, looking for something else to reveal to him where on earth he was and why but all he saw were shadows and some outlines of more computers at the wall towards another corner. He also believed to have seen another person standing in that corner, watching him, saw the glimmer of a lit cigarette and light reflexes on glasses. Or was it again the twilight playing tricks on him?

When he had tried to concentrate more, there was nothing to see. The image of someone standing there had vanished, in its place now the beeping sound emitted by a computer and he again turned his head to face the man in the white coat, desperately trying to fight down the panic that hadn't settled yet but was now nagging at him with full force. 

The man in the lab coat raised his head at the sound of the monitoring device going off, turned his eyes towards some displays and cut the alarm then. Silence once again settled down inside the lab but the humming of the computer wall unnerved the man on the table and unconsciously he started to growl slightly. His eyes never taking off the man in the coat as he took his clipboard in his hand and slowly walked towards him he again fought the urge to lunge right at him or even better back away and then run the hell out of here, without so much as one look back and not ever thinking of coming near that place again. That meant wherever here was.

Before the man in the lab coat reached him, he switched on some buttons at a nearby table and turned that way the light on to now fully illuminate the room. Immediately two surgical lamps, attached to the ceiling and facing down the table were lit up, blinding the man restrained to it with its searing white light. He painfully shut his eyes, pressing them closed but he felt the light seeping through the lids and all he saw was red mixed with orange spots. At the ceiling several more lamps were turned on that way to light up the room and show to everyone what it held. But to him who was blinded for the moment, not daring to open his eyes again it held nothing of interest, all he heard was a door being shut loudly at the farther distance.

The man in the white lab coat stood now above him in front of the table and pulled the lights away a bit and they were turned automatically off. He watched the man for a short second then decided to speak.

"You can open your eyes again, the light is now off", the man said silently. "I know that you are awake."

The other man on the table blinked and pressed his eyes shut once more, eyes which had to slowly get acquainted with the light again. Remaining silent he took his first good look at the man in the white coat, then glanced past him taking notice of the whole set up of the laboratory. He recognized that he truly was inside a medical lab, the medical equipment still the same from when he remembered it but he also recognized some things he could not identify. And then there were the long row of computer terminals along the wall. He felt how his previously repressed panic began to rise again, returning with his full memory of where exactly he was. His breath sped up, the beginning of a panic attack he hadn't had since a long time ago and he also realized that he wasn't alone in the lab. There was another man lying on a second table next to him who seemed to be still unconscious. 

The man then returned his gaze towards the one looming above him and fought the panic down. It did him no good to loose it while he still was tied down to the table and it did not seem as if he would get free any time soon. The white coat seemed to be a doctor and the name tag on the breast pocket on his coat told him that his name was Dr. Jonas. Next to the identification card that dangled from the breast pocked he could see the stylized double helix, the mark of the genetics department of the Initiative, which he would find out later. The doctor was a man in his middle thirties so it seemed, relatively young for a scientist; short dark blond hair that began to fade away alongside the temples and his brown eyes were hidden behind reading goggles. Jonas bent over to remove the two contact sensors that had been attached at the right and left side of the other man's head and put them with his clipboard onto a small metal instrument tray next to the diagnosis table. During the whole time the man on the table watched him in fascination, not able to do anything else but to swallow down his surprise. He now took in the electrodes for the first time as for what they were, having them seen simply as cold places on his head before. Inside him the one question still burned hotly like the light of the sun would sear him, the question about his present condition, lying tied up on a chair inside a lab.

"What do you want from me, what the hell is this place?" he demanded to know from Jonas, his voice sounded raw and hoarse. Deep inside him he feared the answer, did not want to hear it for he already knew half of it; suspected it.

"My name is Dr. Jonas; I am a doctor"; Jonas said in a soothing voice. "There is no need to get agitated that much or for any concern. I will not harm you."

Still why had the other man the deep feeling that Jonas would not be telling him the whole truth? He glared instead at him, trying to intimidate him into giving him a satisfying answer and afterwards releasing him so that he would be getting out.

"What do you want from me?" he repeated his question and this time he tried to lay some more ferocity into his voice, he also raised the volume a bit he spoke in. Jonas seemed not to be impressed that much by it, he took his data board, the clipboard he took notes on and that also was his interface to the computer terminals and double checked the data he retrieved, changed some settings that had gone to zero by removing the electrodes and ignored the other man for a while which unnerved him. Jonas obviously choose another method of gaining data and receiving readings from the man on the table, then he turned back towards his patient again who had gotten pretty angry by now.

"Once you have calmed down a bit, I will try to explain everything…"

"Let me loose you bleedin' bastard or I'll rip your throat out! I want answers and I want them now!" he hissed, the memory of what he was returning fully now and he again started to buck up against his restraints, trying to get them off. His face changed into a murderous glare, but nothing more than that, remaining human in fact for now. Jonas backed away and remained a good distance to the table, the readings and readouts on his data pad rising high. Jonas took a deep breath, nervously and tried then to calm down the obviously distressed and frightened man, glad for the restraints still in place.

"I will try to explain everything to you"; he said hesitantly, still keeping his distance to the wildly bucking man. Jonas seemed to be afraid himself of the other man. Silently he added, but more to himself "If I can make it reasonable and believing for you."

Louder he continued to tell him that he should calm down, he would give him the answers he desired. Jonas fetched his interface again and rechecked his retrieved data. Then, taking another deep breath, he touched a button at the side of the table and the restraints on both his wrists and ankles snapped open. Jonas remained his secure distance and backed away even a slight bit more, watching the man who slowly sat up and rubbed his wrists, already red and slightly chafed from fighting the metal restraints. He then massaged his temples slightly as the world around him began to spin faster then before. Jonas still hesitated, he wasn't quite sure whether his decision had been right to free him but he'd had to give it a try. It was after all his experiment so he had to take the risk, it had been necessary. 

The other man swung his legs off the table and tried to stand up, but his knees buckled and he had to steady himself on the corner of the table.

"You are still weak, too weak to stand up yet", Jonas scolded him and mentally made a note for himself. This was a bit concerning so he tried to gently shove him back to lie down on the diagnosis table again but the other man refused. The short feeling of dizziness and nausea had vanished and he stretched his body, straightened it to a more intimidating posture hoping to being able to take out the doctor and then get the hell out of this place. He shouldn't feel that sick at all.

"No!" he almost shouted, still trying to get his face shifting and even more remembering what had happened. He looked around him, looking at the lab. Instinctively he felt that something was wrong, that something was missing inside but he failed at pinpointing exactly what that was. "I want to know where I am, what the bleeding hell you want from me and why you did what ever you've done to me? And I want to know that now!"

Jonas still seemed a little indifferent about the other man, simply standing there and remaining silent while the other ranted and threatened him. Yet Jonas studied him closely with the glance of a biologist watching rare microbes through the ocular of a microscope. Then he made his decision, trying to take the risk.

"Take a look around, find out for yourself"; he simply said, taking a deep breath and stepping aside so that the other man could get a better look at the other table and the rest of the lab.

The other man took a tentative step towards the second table, curiosity taking over and then froze. He couldn't believe what he saw and felt a strange feeling spreading out inside his stomach like he hadn't felt before. He hesitated for a second, not wanting to look again at the man who lay in front of him, restrained to the table like he had been moments ago but he had to and now wished again not to have.

For the other man on the table, unconscious and tied town had short platinum blond hair, some bleached strands falling onto his forehead but not long enough to hide the scar at the left eyebrow. Subconsciously the man's hand rose to touch the scar on his own eyebrow and asked himself not for the first time where the hell he was and how long he had been here, not to mention what they could've done to him during that time.

The man on the table was wearing grey sweatpants and a shirt on which also a double helix strand was stitched into. The face of the standing man lost colour quickly, paled in comparison to his usual skin tone and he remained standing there like a stone column. That man on the table looked exactly like him, just like the picture that he would greet him every morning in the mirror, would he have had a reflection that is. He did not remember what he looked like now exactly but he knew how he had looked back then when he had been still alive.

That man could have been his identical twin. He sucked in a deep breath. Forgetting for the moment that he usually did not breathe, he then turned away from the other man. Jonas watched the scene unfolding in front of his eye, taking notes on his clipboard while studying his retrieved data the computer transmitted to his interface. The new data came from an implant he had placed at the nape of both men's necks before they awakened, or at least before one of them had by now. He double checked the vitals he got from the still unconscious man and nodded satisfied. Meanwhile the standing man noticed a strange wristband around the wrist of the man on the table and wanted to take a closer look at it, but Jonas intercepted him and put a hand on his shoulder, gently pulling him away from the table. The man flinched.

"W-what have you done?" he asked stammering and confused. He was too shocked at the sight of the other man, still out cold to do anything else or to even think of seeking an escape. "Who is that?"

He continued to massage his temples and tumbled backwards to the other table where he sat down on the corner. "What has happened to me?"

"I will try to explain everything"; Jonas said. Now he was a bit more secure about everything, having retrieved new data and confirming his earlier suspicions, he asked the other man confidently to join him at a table in the farther corner or the lab; a more private place to explain and talk so to speak.

"You are part of an experiment."

"What?!"

"Well, to be completely honest, you are only one half of the experiment and he", Jonas gestured towards the unconscious man, "is the other half."

"I don't quite understand", the man was highly confused by now, not able to find a clear thought at the moment nor to digest what he just had seen or partially been told. How was that possible, another man that looked exactly like him, or so he thought, since it had been a while since he had actually seen himself. 

He raised his hand towards his aching head, massaging the bridge of his nose and noticed for the first time that he too was wearing a wristband of sorts on his left hand, the same in fact he had seen on the other man. It was like those worn in hospitals and it looked like the one the other man was wearing. He saw some black lines on it, a barcode probably and some numbers followed by his name.

William Windsworth aka Spike.

_to__ be continued in Chapter 2_

_Author's notes: So it's gonna be one of them Spike being split in two halves and meeting himself stories which I know is not an original idea; have been done before and probably by better writers than me, but this is my first try at something longer with a real storyline inside. I promise to have made this an original look at it, a different one than done before. Updating soon again, so please review me and tell me what'cha think._


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer__ and all the other stuff: see Prologue_

_Feedback: always welcome, so send 'em to LadySet@gmx.net or easier, review me here (makes me work really faster and gives me all those fuzzy warm feelings inside, so please review)_

_Author's notes: Thank you so much for your nice reviews guys, I am so glad you liked the story so far and hopefully will enjoy reading further also. **Genuine-sun**There will be no ship in this story since Buffy will not make an appearance, I am sorry, but I hope you'll like it still. I have written some B/S pieces around here, but they are only character centric. Anyway if you are interested, go read. _

Again, thank you for reviewing, I hope to get the lighter mood into my writing, but I apologize beforehand again if I don't get it, since English is not my first language. The science mentioned around here is purely fictional since I have not a clue about genetics either. 

_Summary: Still around the Initiative – Spike gets closer to what happened to him there, being said special project.._

_The Experiment – HST 17_

_~Chapter 2~_

"What have you done?" he asked completely stunned, ignoring for the moment that these people knew his name, his real name and wouldn't he have already sat down on a chair, he probably would have fallen down on the floor. All colour had disappeared from his pale face at this revelation and slowly an even more terrifying realization began to work its way into his thoughts. He did not like what he found there right now, not at all.

"Well, let me try to put it in a way so that you might understand it. I have developed a technique to separate certain DNA-strands from the rest, to duplicate a human being…"

"You mean he's a bleedin' clone or what?" the man named Windsworth asked bluntly. He might not be as well versed in modern medical techniques and neither in how much farther modern genetic research or genetic technology had advanced since his days but inside his head several alarm bells were ringing shrilly at the doctor's explanation.

"If you would let me finish I might be able then to explain that it is much easier than that and maybe more difficult than you can imagine"; Jonas tried again to start explaining, knowing well that Windsworth would not understand him. He definitely had to advance the process in future uses. "Well, first he is not a clone like you might think. He is you."

"Cut that crap, that is not possible and nothing you tell me will make me believe this"; Windsworth said growling. "That's bloody insane! What makes you think…"; he wanted to ask another question but the sound of another alarm distracted the good doctor. He stood up and his fingers pushing down some buttons on the interface to cut the alarm. Then Jonas took an injector syringe from the instrument tray, it was filled with a clear blue liquid and put it into the pocket of his coat.

"Wait here, please"; he instructed Windsworth and turned to finally face the other man who was just awakening. The man strained in the bindings having assessed the situation much faster and also what had happened to him. Well, at least as far as was in his knowledge to this moment Contrary to Windsworth the other man was not that confused after waking up and his blue eyes flashed angrily around, scrutinizing every detail of the room he was able to see from his viewpoint. But even he wasn't able to banish all the fear out of them, despite his nature and so they were darting fearfully from corner to corner, mirroring his terror but also his anger, hate and him clearly being pissed off at his situation. He did not want to be restrained, felt helpless and that was something he never wanted to feel again in his life.

The memory of what had brought him here had hit him with the force of a freight train, wherever this here was and it made him even madder.

Putting his full fury into his voice he demanded loudly to be released immediately, a wish that Jonas wasn't as willing to fulfil at the moment without any precautions. The doctor stepped towards the table, talking in a soothing voice to the thrashing man while still remaining a safe distance for himself, even with the restraints on the man intact.

"Who the hell are you?" the man hissed towards Jonas and his face changed, revealing his true nature. "Where am I?"

"My name is Jonas, Dr. Jonas"; Jonas introduced himself, now that his suspicions were proved right. He tried to maintain a calm voice what was not that easy for him in spite of the demonically distorted face looking back to him. Oh, he might have seen many demons for his research here at the Initiative but he had never seen that much hatred and fury like in this ones eyes. Still he did his best to regain his inner peace while taking notes on his clipboard, the syringe still hidden inside his pocket. "I will answer all your questions, as soon as you have calmed down." Inside his mind however he already knew that this would prove impossible.

The man on the table did not think of even calming down an inch. Instead all what Jonas' words achieved was that he was even more frantically pulling at his restraints so that the doctor truly feared they would give in. Windsworth too had come closer now, still hiding in the shadows so that the thrashing man could not see him. He had been curious at this but now a different feeling spread out inside his stomach and he did not like it. The other man hadn't seen him, at least not yet for he still was screaming to be released, bucking wildly but the cuffs were still in place though the metal did give away some screeching sounds. And of course Windsworth hadn't seen him awake yet wearing his true face. Jonas couldn't see any possibility to get closer to the man to calm him by sedating him again and made himself another mental note to implant the injection device he had invented underneath the subject's skin the next time.

The moment Windsworth stepped into the light the restraints snapped with a sound that was like a gunshot had been fired. The man on the table was surprised for a moment so that he did calm down for a second to gather his thoughts on what to do next; so far it had been purely his instinct that had driven him. That was also when he saw Windsworth for the first time.

At first he thought him for being another doctor but then he could get a closer look at the other man's face and he froze. Jonas thanked whatever deity must be above him for this chance and acted quickly, producing the syringe out of his pocked and injecting the other man with its content. It made a small hissing sound when it emptied itself into the other man's arm and the man fell back onto the table; the sedative instantly working. Jonas removed the broken restraints and replaced them with new ones, that were connected with the table and made of extra strong and molecularly heightened Duranium steel, now snapping close and in place loudly. Why hadn't he used them in the first place? After securing the now once more out cold man Jonas turned around towards Windsworth whose face again had noticeably lost colour. He now was as pale as a shroud.

"That is not me", he stammered, forgetting for a moment what he truly was and had been shoved under his nose seconds ago wearing the other man's face, his own – a face he hadn't seen for a long time but still recognized for his own. Even in its contorted form. "That is not me. You lied to me, this is an animal!"

"I think we should continue our talk over there", Jonas gestured towards the table again. "I have not finished my explanation to you, Mr. Windsworth."

Windsworth followed the doctor who put down the syringe onto the instrument tray on his way towards the table and let himself then heavily fall down on a chair. A small voice in the back of his head told him that it indeed was rather odd for the doctor, a man he hadn't even seen in his whole life before would know his name, his true name and call him that instead of the name he himself had chosen and taken upon. Jonas studied him, the obvious weakness did not come to his liking.

"I did not say that he was you, at least I did not mean it directly"; he began his explanation anew, with Windsworth reluctantly listening while his glance from time to time wandered towards the other man, his double on the table.

"I want a bloody explanation not this scientific crap you told me earlier, is that too much to ask?" Windsworth demanded, but his voice did sound tired and weak.

"I already told you that you are part of an experiment, just like he is…"

"Quit the experiment crap, I never bloody volunteered to do this! You've cloned me or what?" Windsworth asked him, clearly defeated after not even having tried to fight and his glance was directed onto nothing particular. He dimly remembered to have read something about this, or at least heard of it, but he had never imagined to experience it with his own body. Of course the prospect of cloning had intrigued him, but always in another context. And what was it that confused him that much, what was it he felt missing?

"Well, not exactly"; Jonas began again and sighed. This was straining his patience and he sure would see for some severe changes concerning certain mental developments for his next experiment. "To put it that way, I have developed or rather more invented a technique that allows me to duplicate a subject. It is not directly like the cloning process rather more like the possibility to create a mirror duplicate. He"; he gestured towards the unconscious man, "is towards a certain point you, your dark half so to speak. Well, the process is far from being perfected, but…"

"My what?!" Windsworth looked directly toward Jonas, trying to bring up the flare of threat usually sparkling inside his eyes but instead they looked rather distant, lethargic.

"He is your dark soul"; Jonas continued, his chest swelled at his work with undisguised excitement and pride which surely would bring him the Nobel price one day for this, the recognition he had longed for so many years. "He is the embodiment of all your dark wishes, desires, aggressions and violence. He is all that which you have hidden deep inside you, buried underneath; your other you."

"But I don't understand this"; Windsworth protested weakly. He was absolutely stunned. How could anybody do a thing such unethical as this, he didn't even bloody volunteer for this, at least he couldn't remember. Sure he had done horrible things in his past as he had memorized it, but this was even horrifying for him. And his dark soul? He could very well remember to have heard more than a thousand times to not possess one and the last thing he actively remembered anyways was having been in a park, the park behind the University of Sunnydale with the light of the stars and the paleness of the moon before he had woken up on the table here, in restrains.

But he found himself unable to form but the slightest aggressive thought against this doctor, no matter how hard he tried to bring forth anger and the fury that fuelled his existence and that made him even more concerned. What use could someone possibly seek out of this experiment; who would profit from this? Windsworth found his thoughts circling around this one question. And why had he been that weak to not stand up against this man, to rip his throat out and then let him drown in his own blood. Where did all these thoughts come from?

"Well, simply put"; Jonas tried out a different approach and studied the reactions he got from Windsworth for this next revelation exactly. "He is not a clone, just a mirror image of you that is just as the real William Windsworth as you are."

Windsworth sunk inside himself, broken like a doll which strings had been cut. He still could not realize or digest what he was hearing. No matter what he had done in his past, this was inhumanly. But he could not see any way out of here. What had been done to him and why? Why wasn't he able to just shrug off these doubts and fight his way out of that lab?

"I have developed a machine, a technique that allows me to separate the darker emotions, those hidden deep inside you from everything else, to bring them forth and then isolate them. To separate this dark personality, the demon from the man to put it out quite bluntly and you are my first success"; Jonas finished his speech; extremely pleased with the results of his experiment so far. Still, in his mind he made himself another note to not only strengthen the darker emotions and traits of a person in the subject but also the other ones to make it more useful, by targeting the higher mental skills for example. Then, leaving Windsworth alone with his thoughts and this new information to digest, Jonas simply stood up and left the laboratory.

_to__ be continued in Chapter 3_


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer__ and all the other stuff: see Prologue_

_Feedback: always welcome, so send 'em to LadySet@gmx.net or easier, review me here (makes me work really faster and gives me all those fuzzy warm feelings inside, so please review)_

_Summary: Around the Initiative – The background characters come into play._

_The Experiment – HST 17_

_~Chapter 3~_

Jonas opened the door to a nearby room, closed it carefully behind him and then threw his green interface clipboard onto the table. He now was inside his surveillance room, a room that was directly next to the laboratory and made also his office. There were computer terminals alongside the wall like in the lab and he activated them, looking at the settings and changing them to fit the subjects needs. Then he transferred all the data from his interface into the computer to gain some ground data to begin with, which he all received from now on via those neck implants. That implant had been another invention of his and Jonas was extremely proud of that one. His office had no windows at all, considering where it was located that wouldn't have made any sense at all but he didn't give it a second thought ever. Not that he could have had windows, even if he wanted them. On the wall facing the lab there was a huge window through which he could watch both men behind without them noticing. And since it wasn't the usual mirror wall used in interrogation rooms, it was much more inconspicuously from the other side. Jonas ran his fingers through his hair and turned towards the window to the outer world as he used to call it with a huge smile. 

He watched both of them, how they for the moment just were there and would see later how they interacted with each other, a thing that would give him material of high value for his next project and also for the possible next step of this one. After he had seen enough for now, Windsworth still sat there on the chair where he had left him, staring into empty space while desperately trying not to have to see the other one or to have to deal with the other and beware to have to interact once the other would awaken again, Jonas turned back to his data.

He sat down behind his desk, calling upon his data on his guinea pigs and quickly scanned over them. He wanted to find out what had made Windsworth react the way he had, trying to determine the reason for his apathy since he had no explanation for that behaviour; other subjects before had not shown any signs of this. But then these had been just rodents so far or hadn't survived the separation process. It couldn't be from lack of nutrition since they had made sure that Windsworth was fed enough before enticing him into the loving care of this experiment and he shouldn't need anything else for a longer while. According to Jonas' previous studies it was simply impossible for him to show such abnormal behaviour. Jonas then noticed a small anomaly at the hormonal and enzymatic readings from Windsworth as well as a disturbance within his electrolytes while he still received normal readings from the unconscious sleeper. At least as normal as the vital signs of a vampire could be and received by his sensors.

His desk looked like in any other office too; in the corner stood a glass with pencils and pens, some others lying on the table on top of several folders and in the other corner there stood a lovely framed picture of a joyful smiling woman that embraced a cute brown and hairy dog. Jonas glanced over to the picture with a gentle and loving look in his eyes before he scribbled his theories about a possible treatment for Windsworth onto the clipboard and wanted to indulge himself into further studying when he remembered his other two pets who undoubtedly would be nagging on the bars of their cages.

"Well there sweeties, I almost have forgotten you. But no worries, you will get something to eat in a second now"; Jonas said softly, smiling and fetched from the small fridge in his office a plate with tiny cheese bits. He took the plate and walked towards the two little cages which stood on a small table in the corner of his office.

Inside said cages there were two small white mice, one had a darker black spot on the left side of the back, the other one was identical to it with the spot on the right. Both mice were indeed nagging at their cages and looked up hungrily towards Jonas who neared with the cheese plate. One of them even tried to climb up on the bars nose up going for the smell of cheese while the other one patiently waited at the floor.

"Well, my little ones, you must be really hungry today"; Jonas said while he fed both mice. Hungrily both of them devoured the bits of cheese but Jonas then noticed something strange. After a while one of them tucked some bits of cheese away as if it wanted to keep them for later; the other mouse wolfed the cheese down like it wouldn't be getting any more.

"Clever little thing"; Jonas thought to himself, appreciating it from the scientists perspective and opened the cage. He petted the small mouse on the back, almost tenderly and the little one pulled up its head, necking his finger with its nose to return the affectionate gesture.

"You do understand me, my little ones"; Jonas said to them and wanted to pet the other one too, but he pulled his finger really fast out of the cage again once the other mouse snapped at him. Turning himself towards the first one, he continued to pet it, deep inside his thoughts until the door to his office fell back shut. He nearly jumped and turned around to face the intruders.

In front of him stood Professor Maggie Walsh, the leader of the Initiative and the whole project here in Sunnydale and her right hand, a rather inconspicuous looking student, Riley Finn. But in his eyes the cold of year long conditioning by the Initiative and the military showed clearly that he wasn't as innocent and farm-boyish as he might appear to others outside the complex here. His eyes were as cold as those Walsh's, but it was her whom Jonas feared most; her and her absolute unscrupulous attire towards everything. Jonas straightened himself and then stepped towards them after closing the cage of his little one. Inside him he felt insecure and the first naggings of fear.

"Well, Professor Walsh, what can I do for you?" He asked her unsure of what had brought her to him, but then he should have known that she would never let him run a project that important like his latest experiment completely by his own.

"Jonas, how's the progress of the experiment!" Walsh did not waste any time with preamble or niceties but instead got straight to the point. Jonas did not remember to have her act anytime differently but he kept this to himself. Her eyes flashed dangerously and her whole demeanour signalled that she would not tolerate any hesitating or insecurities by her opposite, this time that being Jonas. She held out her hand and demanded to see the Interface to gain her own picture of how things were progressing before Jonas could even begin to explain it to her. 

She would await his explanation nonetheless. Walsh had her short dark-blond hair tied on the back of her head, tightly and giving her an even more hard appearance than her whole attitude could which was really hard to accomplish and she too wore a lab coat like Jonas over her civil clothing. Later she would discard the coat and go back to her students for another psychology class; innocent and unsuspecting young people who had no idea what their professor truly did in between and after classes.

Riley Finn had taken his place one step behind Walsh and stood there like a stone column, the perfect soldier he was with his hands behind his back but always ready and his senses awake. He wore his green military uniform and would probably be patrolling afterwards before going back to class himself. The calm inside the base and especially inside the laboratories made him a bit uneasy, even though he would rather die before admitting this in front of Walsh or showing it. Jonas took one more glance at the window before answering Walsh's question. But not before he had taken another calming breath.

"Everything is going to the fullest expectations and according schedule"; Jonas answered calmly, at least as calm as he managed to appear on the outside and tried to show confidence, more than he ever would have in his life while hiding his suspicions from the prying eyes of the professor. If Walsh would notice something within his data,…

"Everything progressing to my expectations"; Jonas repeated and then continued his report. "The separation process has been completed successfully. The subject had to be sedated again and it in good health"; Jonas explained, beginning with the second man that Walsh clearly was more interested in. "William on the other hand is like expected a bit distressed and rattled, afraid. He does not understand what has happened to him, not yet but I do expect him to accept his new situation soon. His vital signs are excellent by the way and absolutely within normal parameters. Should all proceed as planned, we can soon start the reprogramming process, the second step of the experiment, his conditioning and re-education. Matters that concern Spike"; here Jonas used Windsworth's chosen and more fitting name for the mirror image, "are that he is strong and aggressive. His vitals are equivalent to the data from the beginning but I need some more tests before I can tell anything more about the demon: that is once I can handle him restrained."

Walsh looked through the window and watched with real fascination both men. Windsworth had walked over to the second diagnosis table, carefully avoiding any eye contact with the other man, still ignoring him entirely. They were so much alike on the outside but on the inside two different people and she smiled coldly. Once this experiment would prove successful, it was a new method of treatment and creation for her organization. With cold and calculating eyes she turned her attention to the monitors of those computers, studying the bio data and displays there; acting like she knew what they meant but she was not a geneticist. Jonas had to grin inwardly at that but refrained from showing his amusement.

  
"Keep me posted, doctor"; Walsh said then and went to the door, gesturing Finn to follow her. The young man, whose eyes had been glued to the window with unhidden fascination and curiosity stood at attention and started to follow.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Jonas asked him when he passed, but only received a growl as answer. Then Finn followed Walsh out of the observation room and left Jonas alone again.

Jonas took a deep breath when they finally were gone, relief washing through him. He couldn't tell Professor Walsh what the strange readings from William Windsworth meant for the experiment and he was once again glad for the fact that Walsh hadn't even the slightest clue about his work. Or at least that was it what Jonas hoped, otherwise he'd be so screwed, but he could not imagine that woman knowing what he did do inside his lab. She might be the head of the Initiative, but for nothing a geneticist or biologist. And Jonas himself, being a small authority on his field of expertise had no idea about it. He decided to give the mouse with the spot on the right side an extra piece of cheese and then returned to his studies. Now he wanted to study the reactions and behaviour of both of them towards and with each other.

Jonas woke the unconscious man up by stimulating the implant inside his neck and waited.

_to__ be continued in Chapter 4_

_****************************************************************************************************************************_

_more__ to come soon, I promise. Meanwhile, please review and let me know what you think, feedback gives me all those fuzzy warm feelings inside and is good for my soul. Pretty please ;)_


	5. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer__ and all the other stuff: see Prologue_

_Feedback: always welcome, so send 'em to LadySet@gmx.net or easier, review me here (gets me to work really faster and gives me all those fuzzy warm feelings inside, so please review)_

_Author's notes: Thank you for all the positive feedback you gave me. It really encourages me to write more on this one and tells me I'm on the right way. I once again apologize for any mistakes concerning my English. I also noticed a severe lack of me being able to get some good conversation on paper for the story, so apologies for that too. I try to do my best to bring some more dialogue in the later chapters._

_Summary: Still in the good old Initiative – Spike is about to find out what the experiment truly is about. Or is he really?_

_The Experiment – HST 17_

_~Chapter 4~_

William had returned to his diagnosis table, on which he had awoken first and laid down. He seemed defeated and all around here made no sense to him. He never had felt anything like this before and he did not like it a bit.

The unconscious man still lay there in his restraints on the other diagnosis table while William proceeded to stare at the ceiling. Not even the slowly returning knowledge of what he was could pull him out of this state of defeat. And he truly hadn't even begun to fight yet, but his mind never registered that. Instead he seemed lethargic and depressed, pondering about his situation and the implications. 

The other man awoke immediately, the short electric impulse shocking him enough for that. He opened his eyes and glanced around curiously, quickly assessing his new situation and studying everything he was able to see form the position on the table. By doing so he noticed the computers and also the other man on the table next to him.

"Hey!"

Windsworth nearly jumped when the other spoke to him. The strange sound of his own voice, coming from another person was enough for the moment to let him waken up from this apathy he currently dwelled in. He turned his head around towards the other, to look at him, something he frantically had avoided so far and saw him, saw his eyes staring at him with an icy coldness that caused the blood inside his veins to freeze. Windsworth rose, putting his legs once again on the floor and bracing himself for the nausea that had followed the first time. Surprised he noticed that he already felt a bit better and stronger also but then he also remembered that he always recovered really fast. He slowly made his way to the other table where the other still was restrained on but already fought against the metal holding him down there. Windsworth watched him closely and not without the generous amount of suspicion he saw in the other's eyes too.

He began to remember much clearer now what had happened and especially what he was; he wouldn't take a risk in coming closer to the other if he truly was like him. But why did he fear him then, they should be like brothers if that was the truth. Windsworth shrugged all the uneasy feelings off for the moment and concentrated back on the other, remaining in safe distance from him. Because he might no longer have felt that weak like he had before but clearly was no match against the other man, the strength he had displayed previously when snapping the first restraints was proof enough for him.

The other also studied the man in front of him once he stepped out of the shadows and into the light. He looked at him, head to toe but his glance remained locked onto the other's face. This Windsworth reacted a bit more composed than William had done at the sight of his mirror counterpart. He also didn't waste much time with unnecessary questions or wonderings about the situation and the implications created with the fact that he had an identical Spike in front of him. Right now he decided to act only to his instinct.

"Who the hell are you!" he angrily hissed towards William. "Let me go!"

He again fought his restraints, wildly bucking so that William took a step backwards, shocked and also afraid and once again forgetting for a moment what he was and that others usually feared _him._

"William Windsworth, but these days I prefer Spike!" he said shyly. The other shook his head, hissing.

"I am William Windsworth!" he insisted, still the fury not gone out of his voice. "Even though I bloody well haven't been that nancy boy for a long time now. You can't be him for I am Spike."

"I am also Spike"; William tried to explain and fetched a chair for himself, feeling the nausea returning but maintained the secure distance once he was seated. Now he began to feel a bad feeling growing inside him and that was doubt mingled with fear this time. He was so much lost in thought that he now had no time to even wonder at the implications and the fact that lay behind what the other said or even was and why.

"I have no clue of this or how he did it, but this Dr. Jonas, some bleedin' geneticist or some such said that you are me, my dark soul", he laughed humourlessly at that; "and that you were created out of my aggressive emotions and thoughts. That he had separated us and most of what he said didn't make any sense at all."

"Who's that Jonas bloke?" Spike growled angrily and his temper flared anew as he spit his anger at the other. Whoever that imposter might have been, it sure wasn't him and a good portion of scare hadn't done harm to anybody in the past.

"T-the man you saw when you woke up the first time"; William told his mirror image, fighting down surprise and nausea. The other Spike seemed to consider his answer because suddenly he relaxed and leaned back before he somehow politely asked William to release him from the restraints. William hesitated for a moment; he wasn't sure whether he really should do what the other had asked but then if he couldn't trust himself, whom else could he?

And also the other would certainly not harm him, him being the one who had freed him. He began loosening the cuffs on the left hand and then cautiously waited what the other would do now.

Said other one slowly moved his wrist, letting himself feel for a moment the freedom from being restrained so long but then his hand snapped forward with inhumanly speed and closed itself around William's neck, merciless and hard and he felt William stiffening inside from fear and surprise.

Inside his observation room Jonas leaned forward to get a closer look at the scene behind the window. He truly was fascinated about this particular development and also truly taken by the data he got from both of them.

"You're lying!" the other practically spat towards the other, hissing through clenched teeth. "I am Spike, the real Big Bad around here. So, who the soddin' hell are you and this time I will get a satisfying answer, understood? I'll kill you right here if you're lying and I can tell."

"I am Spike", William managed to get out, slowly choking; the bare threat still hanging between them and the other didn't make it easier for him by pulling him down towards the table to get an even more iron grip around his neck. "You are also Spike, your true name is William Windsworth just like mine and what I told you is the bleedin' truth. It is what that Jonas bloke told me."

"I still don't believe you!" Spike growled again and squeezed. William made some strange gurgling sounds and insisted on his point, at least as much as it was possible for him with the cut air supply. And William didn't even waste a single thought as to why he really needed the precious air for the moment.

"It is all I know"; William continued to bubble out. He felt like a fish outside the water and the grip that held his neck didn't move an inch. If only it hardened.

"Please…let…go."

Reluctantly Spike loosened his grip from William who immediately staggered several steps backwards. He gasped for air and rubbed his neck on which one fine set of fingerprints clearly was visible in an angry red by now. Spike opened the remaining cuffs and sat up, sniffing around. All he received was the sterile stench of the lab and the fear, unmistakably coming from the imposter. Spike threw his legs off the table and his eyes wandered around the room, taking in every detail that he had overlooked before but then rested anew on William. Spike's thoughts raced now, his mind working with a clarity he hadn't encountered before and he had the slight feeling to see all his senses sharpened, being sharper than they used to. Still he did not believe this wimp William a single thing. Spike stood up and straightened his posture right in front of William. The other involuntarily held his breath once he felt the prying and hard glare of Spike resting on him.

Both men were facing each other, like the two images of a mirror; twins created in the middle of their lifetimes and not from birth. Spike circled his counterpart and noticed with satisfaction that the other moved with him, obviously afraid to turn his back towards him. He might have lied to him about being him or his double or whatever but at least he wasn't completely stupid. And it was absolutely impossible that the crazy story he'd told him would be the truth. 

They now studied each other for the first time really closely, curiosity equally present on their faces as was suspicion and fear. Spike now looked at the man in front of him, his mirror image a picture he hadn't seen since decades, plus some additions and changes that was. Still he was the same he had been before. And now the other wore the same grey sweatpants and the shirt with the symbol of the DNA strand on it. Spike looked at the same hairstyle, the short bleached blond hair and the scar on the left eyebrow, the same he wore on his own and had earned himself in his fight with the first Slayer he'd ever killed. It was good that it had been a magickal blade that had cut him, otherwise he wouldn't have scarred and that way he always was reminded of this glorious victory. Spike had considered this scar a trophy ever since, like his coat that was nowhere to be seen. They must have taken it off when they brought him here and it pissed him off. He would get that coat back, even if he had to kill every single one around here, of which he unfortunately only had seen two people yet; that Jonas guy and the other, his "twin".

Spike didn't understand what had happened, but at least he now wasn't so eager to ignore what the other had claimed to be, not after seeing it with his own eyes. And the other seemed to be very real.

But he also seemed to be completely human, his smell of fear assaulting his nostrils and the heart beat so terribly loud in the silence of the laboratory for Spike's ears screamed human to him, betraying the other's nature. That couldn't be him, there was no chance in hell of the other being him because he hadn't heard his own heart beat since over a hundred years and it still remained dead within his own chest, un-beating since the night he had been turned. 

And it continued to remain silent inside him but how could the other then be him too like he had claimed and even insisted to be, after him nearly being killed? And not an imposter or a cleverly prepared deception even if he was completely human?

Spike raised his hands to rub his temples, an unconscious habit that remained ever since the time he had been human and then from time to time suffering from headaches. Somehow he felt one building inside again, despite him not having had one because of his own vampiric nature. He also felt a bit dizzy what must have come from the fact that he was hungry. Or was he really? Spike couldn't remember the last time he had fed but he didn't have the desire to feed even though there was a potential victim within his reach. He now noticed for the first time the white plastic band around his wrist. He read the numbers on the plastic and his name: William Windsworth aka Spike.

How the hell did they know who he was, especially his true name and who the hell were they?

Spike was confused, more than that to be precisely and he didn't like it a bit. He felt the other slowly approaching, his racing pulse that surely drove him into feeding frenzy without feeling it and he reacted out of pure instinct again. He changed.

William recoiled in horror at the sight of the other now, at how his face had deformed. They eyes began to glow slightly yellow and when he pulled back his lips he revealed pointed and razor sharp fangs William felt truly nauseous. With the sight of the other in front of him he felt his memories, the whole memory of him suddenly crashing down on him and he also knew now what had felt so strange during the whole time; what had been missing and all the time just seemingly being out of reach. Now he knew that it hadn't been just out of reach, it was no longer there.

William staggered backwards and had to hold himself upright at the table so that he wouldn't break down like he had before. He couldn't quite remember when it had been the last time he had ever felt such weakness before. Not even when he had been human, but then something else came back into his mind, something Jonas had said and he now fully understood.

He was human now. 

Jonas had not separated his dark side or dark soul as the doctor had pronounced it, but more the demon from the man.

_to__ be continued in Chapter 5_

_****************************************************************************************************************************more soon, I promise, meanwhile again please review and let me know what you think; it does wonders in quieting the voices in my head and makes me feeling all fuzzy and warm inside. Bella_


	6. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer and all the other stuff:__ see Prologue_

_Feedback: always welcome, so send 'em to LadySet@gmx.net or easier, review me here (gets me to work really faster and gives me all those fuzzy warm feelings inside, so please review)_

_Author's notes: Once again thank you so much for the positive feedback. This is so great and I'm glad you seem to like this story. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well. As for more dialogue, there will be plenty of it in later chapters, I promise. But the story is after all a bit on the darker mysterious side, so please have patience with me and my need to describe surroundings._

_Summary: Back in the good old days of the Initiative – as noticed, Spike is still there and planning on escaping. But what is wrong with him really, or should I say with William?_

_The Experiment – HST 17_

__

_~Chapter 5~_

Spike watched the other closely; his reaction towards him was expected and proved him that the other must have been an imposter. If he had been him, really him to the full extent, then he shouldn't have reacted this way but more vamping out also and standing up against him instead of cowering in what Spike now mistook for fear of him being an evil vampire. He had wanted to come closer to the other, maybe scaring him some more to get information from him or a way out of here, at worst he would have something to eat if all else failed. But he opted against it for the moment; instead he tuned his senses onto the room suspiciously. He felt the glare of someone else resting behind his shoulder blades.

"Come out!" he growled clearly pissed off and he didn't waste even a single thought at putting his human mask back on.

Jonas gently closed the door behind him by letting the locking system fall into place and stepped out of the shadows into the brightness of the lab. He held his green interface data board like a safety shield in front of his chest and pushed his glasses up his nose. Then, after having taken a calming breath he felt ready to face both of them again, especially Spike who glared at him with deadly intention visible in his eyes. 

Jonas walked over towards the two Spikes, keeping his eyes on the display of his interface to be prepared for sudden changes that would need counteraction from his side. With a frown he registered slightly concerning readings coming from William while Spikes were within normal parameters; that was, for a vampire. The scientist wasn't quite sure whether it would be really wise to turn his back towards Spike, especially since he still wore his demonic countenance on display, his true face and to add to that was without restraints.

Once again, Jonas opted to take this risk like he had done before. If he wanted to get satisfying findings, and that also included especially good results to present Walsh with, he was forced to find out what caused these imbalances in William; whether they were just after-effects of the separation process or had a different source. Taking another deep breath, that did nothing in calming him but instead increased his wariness and nervousness tenfold, Jonas decided to go to William first. But he also noticed with the observing mind of the true scientist he was, that Spike was carefully following his every movements since he had entered the room; in fact had noticed him from the very beginning. This already was an extremely exciting result he filed within his mind concerning first successes of the experiment.

William had paled enormously since Jonas had seen him first. His skin was a sickly greyish colour and his breathing had sped up. The man was panting slightly, clearly fighting down the urge to vomit. Jonas had no idea what might have caused this sickness but he intended to find out. He had to; otherwise Walsh would have his head.

"Please lie down, Mr. Windsworth"; he said to William, something the other all too happily complied to. Jonas took a small scanner device from the instrument tray and moved it in circular movements around William's head. The data he received from the implant was not enough to give him a better insight as to what happened here and to his great dismay Jonas had to realize that this was also not getting him any idea either. As it was, the readings worried him immensely; it almost seemed like his experiment would not turn out just like he planned or hoped to. How could the chemical levels within his blood and circulatory system have deteriorated so quickly within the not quite five days after getting him and performing the separation on the vampire? Another quick glance to the interface showed Jonas that Spikes readings remained stable with a light increase of the adrenaline levels that was to be expected.

Spike was watching the doctor warily and intensely during the whole procedure. It bothered him that he completely ignored him when that mortal should instead be afraid of him. But contrary to his memories of when he first awoke here, the scientist did not fear him; he even turned his back towards him. Within him every fibre of his being screamed out at lunging at the man in the white coat, tearing his throat out and asking questions later. But to his great surprise Spike found himself unable for the moment to form the thought to get this idea in motion. Oh, his ferocity was still there, burning deep inside him as was the hunger that was only fuelled by the scent of fear radiating from both humans within the lab besides him and the hammering sound of their combined rapid heartbeats. He just couldn't bring himself to attack the man which he felt very odd. Spike decided it time for some action. He wanted answers, the most important one to the questions of how the hell could he get out of here and of what they did to him.

"Dr. Jonas, I presume"; Spike said threateningly. It wasn't a question, just him stating an assumed fact. The vampire moved closer towards the doctor, intimidating him by towering up in front of him, still in full vamp face. It seemed to work, that Spike could smell from the changed scent but the scientist still didn't turn around. "I want a bloody explanation! What the hell have you done to me?"

"The only thing I am able to tell you"; Jonas now turned to face him, forcing himself to look into the demon's face without showing any more fear than he already was feeling; "is that William has told you the truth. At least to that extent in which he has understood it himself. If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll be right with you then."

Spike's eyes had widened at the casual mentioning of Jonas' concerning what the other had told him before. He apparently had monitored them for the whole time, from the outside but he couldn't see any mirrors in the room or surveillance cameras that was. So how the hell did he do it then?

Spike had no time to think about that, Jonas brushed past him and walked towards a small medicine cabinet on the wall. He spoke silently some words and the electric door opened after voice identification. The doctor took a small vial out of it that contained a clear liquid. He filled an injector with it and then repeated the action with a different vial containing a light blue liquid. Both vials were put back into the cabinet whose doors closed afterwards; an internal computer registering the removal. Jonas walked back to William and injected him the clear liquid. The man was clearly too weak to object so he let it pass and rested his head on the table. Then the scientist once more turned towards Spike, the other injector in his hand.

"What the hell is that?" Spike flinched and backed away involuntarily, eying the device in the doctor's hand suspiciously. Then he remembered something and growled to underline his next words. "And why aren't you answering my questions?"

"This is a stimulating agent for your circulation"; Jonas tried to reassure the vampire. Spike looked far from reassured though. "It also will ease the hunger a bit, until you will get something to feed on."

"I already have something to feed on"; Spike snorted, glaring at the doctor who unconsciously backed away slightly. "That doesn't answer my question though, or do I have to get a bit more convincing, eh doc?

"It is what I told you"; Jonas defended himself. "I have given William something equally to stabilize him. He should be better soon, as will you. You do begin to feel it, don't you?"

Spike resisted the urge to nod. The vampire actually had begun to feel restless in such close company of two breathing humans and still wondered silently, why he hadn't lunged himself at their throats yet, to suck them dry. The feeling that burned inside him, was like the stirring of the first hunger that rose once again but that couldn't be. He was a vampire now for over a hundred years, way past his first night or kill. But he had to recall to him that he felt differently now, that all things around him were seen, heard, smelled and felt strange, more intense than before. Against his better judgement Spike allowed the doctor to come closer to him, to inject him with the blue liquid. His vampiric healing abilities should be able to deal with anything the doctor injected him with, may it be poison or what he had told him.

"What about him?" Spike asked suddenly, forgetting for a moment where he was or that he was standing in front of his presumed captor this very moment. A calming sensation spread out from where he had been injected, satiating the hunger for now. "How could he be human, a bleedin' mortal when he is me like you've said?"

To underline the urgency and sincerity of his question Spike decided to go for another deep-throated growl and he curled his lips backwards to bare his sharp fangs.

"I am sure that this is just a minor side effect of the separation process"; Jonas lied nervously, praying fervently that Spike wouldn't notice. "Surely this will dissolve in a few days when he has gotten used to his new situation; as will you. The separation is an extremely straining and highly experimental process and I am sure that nothing like this will happen to you"; Jonas added to beat Spike before the other could ask the same question. "The demon half should be stronger, strong enough to handle this much better."

"It is true then, that this wimp is actually me?" Spike wanted to know. "Me as in bloody human me?"

"Yes"; Jonas answered, relived that obviously Spike hadn't noticed him lying before. But that didn't calm down his nervousness.

But Spike _had noticed that something was wrong. He had felt relived when Jonas told him that he would remain unaffected but he sensed that the doctor would keep the truth from him; could see the nervousness and smell the cold sweat that not only was there because Jonas was afraid of him. He after all had turned his back towards him, something Spike not only considered immensely stupid but also suicidal by the doctor, did he know well that he was unrestrained; and dangerous. Yet still Spike did not know the reason behind that feeling of insecurity and anxiety._

"That's impossible"; Spike snarled. "He cannot be me because I am still here, still un-alive. So how did you do it?"

Jonas was saved from answering to that by a groan coming from William. He now was breathing more regularly now and his skin colour was returning slowly. He tried to sit up, but Jonas kept him down.

"Please remain down, you need to rest"; Jonas told the man who gladly took that advice, did the room already start to spin faster around him. The scientist threw another glance onto the display of the diagnosis scanner and put it down on the table. He fetched another syringe with an empty vial and gently probed with his fingertips the veins underneath the skin of William's arm. Having found a promising one, he inserted the needle, causing William to yelp in surprise, but this time Jonas only drew a blood sample from the man. 

Spike eyed him suspiciously during the whole process of Jonas drawing blood, watching as the vial slowly filled with the dark red liquid. He could even smell it, inside the plastic tube. The doctor marked the blood sample and it joined his diagnosis scanner on the table..

"I might need a blood sample of you also"; he then announced to the vampire, nearing him with a new syringe. Spike hissed at him, backing away.

  
"Why?" He asked; his voice carrying undisguised suspicion within it.

"I want to be sure, completely sure that this weakness is not linked to the separation process in any way."

"And why would you believe that?" Spike wanted to know, still not trusting Jonas. Spike had never trusted doctors and he was glad to not have lost his healthy human sense, or rather vampire sense now, because of this strange and abominable experiment he still had no clue as to what the purpose to it was.

"I just want to make some tests"; Jonas explained, trying to speak in a trustworthy tone. "I promise to tell you the results, and not the sugar coated version should I find anything. But this is after all my experiment and I have to get data out of it."

Spike reluctantly shoved his arm towards the doctor, reacting to the slightly different tone without even registering it. He felt a small stinging sensation when Jonas drew blood from him. Once again he believed to smell the blood inside the plastic vial and the hair on his back stood up at this feeling. Fascinated he watched the blood forming a small moon-shaped dome after Jonas withdrew the needle from his flesh. Where had his thoughts of ripping the man apart and then fleeing from the lab gone? 

Right now he acted like a well trained puppy, doing exactly what that man asked him to and he didn't even say a single word against it. But Spike didn't notice that at all, being utterly fascinated by the smell of his own blood, intensified through his heightened senses.

"Press your index finger on the wound and bend your arm"; Jonas instructed but Spike didn't hear him. He instead raised his arm to his face and licked the drop of blood off, savouring the taste of it on the tip of his tongue and the equally increased sense of taste; not bothering with the thought that it was his own vitae he tasted. How delicious would the blood of others taste to him now?

Jonas marked the second vial of blood as well and took both of them in his hands, shaking them slightly and holding them against the light. On the surface they looked both identical and the scientist was sure that down to the genetic background they were. Jonas let both vials slide into his pocket and left his experiment to its own again, shutting the door behind him on his way to the observation room that was his office and second lab.

Spike left his "twin" on the diagnosis table and took this opportunity to take a closer look around. Now that the doctor had left, he felt like the veil that had cloaked his senses while the scientist had still been there had been lifted. It also left him pondering about the fact that he had not ripped Jonas' head off like he'd intended to.

The doctor might have gone and left them alone in the wide open space of the lab, but Spike still felt imprisoned and that made him nervous. His mind didn't even register that he in fact was imprisoned with no possibility of getting out at the moment. He felt like one of those animals he once had seen in a zoo, pacing around in their cages determined to break free. That was it Spike's first thought of an action was he decided to do next. It had been on his mind from the second he had woken up here and still was; him not knowing what had happened did not help either.

The computer terminals were of no use for him, they wouldn't open the doors and Spike had no idea how to use them. He never had been much into this sort of technology, it being not even invented in his lifetime or now in his un-life. The only way of leaving this lab seemed to be through the door and this way turned out to be locked. Not even his vampiric strength managed to open them, only with a small square box that had a hand shaped print on it and a strange round glass dome would it be opened. And Spike neither had the right handprint nor would the retinal scan recognize him.

He felt helpless. Like said, Spike didn't think much highly of computers and that he had watched Jonas use them wasn't able to help him out much. Instead he took a closer look at the curves on the diagrams displayed. The markings on them revealed them coming from himself and his "twin". Though he had no idea what they meant or on how to read them properly, even he as complete scientific layman knew that those coming from William were fluctuating wildly and presently extremely low. His own ones showed some highs and variations that meant nothing to him but could be interpreted as somehow normal because they remained above the red line. For the moment now, that satisfied him; because he knew that he still felt normal, more so for his every senses were heightened and on alert. And he concentrated everything on a plan on escaping once that doctor would be returning.

William's diagrams showed readings just barely above the minimum levels. That wasn't good at all and somehow Spike began to feel something for the other. He looked over to him who still lay on that table and blankly stared towards the grey ceiling. Within Spike awoke a feeling of protectiveness he never had encountered before. He had not created any childer before he could feel that way about but assumed that this must be the same thing a sire would feel for his childe. And if that other one truly was him, that meant he had been created out of him.

Spike pushed down that though real quick. The other wasn't him; he couldn't be because he had never been a weakling like that as human, dismissing for the moment the memory of himself as being actually human from a good hundred years ago. Right now the number one priority was to escape from this place. No matter how or what it would take, he would leave as soon as possible. 

There had to be another way besides that door, but after having examined every inch of the room, he came to his earlier conclusion. The only way out was through that door. And he would make use of that once Jonas came back to him.

Spike settled down on the corner of the table, closing his eyes and concentrating. The fast heartbeat of the other made it hard for him but he managed to calm enough for formulating a plan inside his mind. He would not be treated like a puppy again by that doctor. From somewhere, he sensed that he was watched, most likely by said doctor. Should he, should he enjoy his crazy experiment as long as it would last because Spike would get to him soon enough.

_to__ be continued in Chapter 6_

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_Please review and let me know what you think, it makes a writer happy and me especially. More to come soon, I promise to at least update once a week on this one. Reviewing does make me work faster, really (and I will beg for it if I must *g*). Bella _


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